Colour, music and rainbow flags took over the streets of Sandton on Saturday. The LGBTQ+ Pride South Africa parade brought hundreds of people together in Johannesburg for one of the continent’s biggest yearly celebrations of inclusivity.
A Parade With a Message
The marchers had banners to show their support and were dressed up in colorful costumes, and some even came from as far away as Asia and other parts of the world. Not everyone came only to party. One of those people at the event was Patrick Smit-Stachowski, who said he was there because of the rollback of transgender rights in places such as the United States.
Why South Africa Stands Apart
Amongst all the countries of the African continent, South Africa has come across one of the most inclusive countries. It is because of the fact that it guarantees the full legal protection of the LGBTQ community. Moreover, it is the only country in Africa which has banned the discrimination against sexual orientation in its constitution. It is also the only African country that allows gay marriages which were legalized in 2006.
For many other LGBTQ individuals from Africa who do not reside in South Africa, such laws remain far from reality. Many other countries in Africa punish same-sex relationships and the human rights organizations have kept warning about the same. The Human Rights Watch organization has recently issued an alert regarding the crackdown by the authorities in Senegal due to the increasing arrests made there.
Law Is Not the Whole Story
Unfortunately, protection on paper does not necessarily mean the end of discrimination on the ground level. There are many reports of harassment and violence against the LGBTQ+ demographics in South Africa even outside major cities. It is quite important to bring people together and let the world witness LGBTQ+ family members are part of the community, thus pride marches are essential.
Saturday’s parade may not be massive by global standards, but its meaning travels far. In a region where many people cannot be open about who they are, a march of hundreds in Sandton offers visibility, hope and proof that inclusion is possible on African soil.
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